Nixon's grand mistake was his failure to understand that Americans are forgiving, and if he had admitted error early and apologized to the country, he would have escaped.

Because of Watergate in part, I am kind of a magnet for calls and information and suggestions.

People like to pigeonhole and say, Well, I'm a Washington insider, and you know, that's quite silly. What does that even mean?

It was accountability that Nixon feared.

The fact of the Watergate cover-up is not nearly as interesting as the step into making the cover-up. And when you understand the step, you understand that Richard Nixon lied. That he was a criminal.

Nixon had some large achievements in foreign affairs. They will be remembered. But a president probably gets remembered for one thing, and Watergate will head the Nixon list, I suspect.

There may yet be another Watergate book. I have thought a book about the aftermath of Watergate and its impact could be done, perhaps by me or someone else.

Even now there is no evidence that anyone involved in the Nixon operation was going to threaten us.

I don't think there will ever be a permanent truce, but I believe the media needs to be more careful and be willing to count to 10 before rushing on the air or into print.

There are people who take rumors and embellish them in a way that can be devastating. And this pollution has to be eradicated by people in our business as best we can.

It would seem that the Watergate story from beginning to end could be used as a primer on the American political system.

Deep Throat did serve the public interest by providing the guidance and information to us.

Watergate provides a model case study of the interaction and powers of each of the branches of government. It also is a morality play with a sad and dramatic ending.

I think people are smart enough to sort it out. They know when they're watching one of these food fight shows where journalists sit around and yell and scream at each other, versus serious issue reporting.

I don't think voters give a hoot about the character of their political advisors, except to the extent that character reflects on the candidates.

The source known as Deep Throat provided a kind of road map through the scandal. His one consistent message was that the Watergate burglary was just the tip of the iceberg.

A reporter's ability to keep the bond of confidentiality often enables him to learn the hidden or secret aspects of government.

The number of illegal activities were so large that one was bound to come out and lead to the uncovering of the others. Nixon was too willing to use the power of government to settle scores and get even with enemies.

When you see how the President makes political or policy decisions, you see who he is. The essence of the Presidency is decision-making.

The central dilemma in journalism is that you don't know what you don't know.

I believe there's too little patience and context to many of the investigations I read or see on television.

Clinton... believes that the Washington Press Corps is so out of touch that it is absolutely inconceivable that reporters would understand the issues that people are really dealing with in their lives.

I give lectures for money, but all the money goes to charity. So, I make no money from it.

I have found people don't want to be told. That they can figure it out.

Newspapers that are truly independent, like The Washington Post, can still aggressively investigate anyone or anything with no holds barred.

Deep Throat's information, and in my view, courage, allowed the newspaper to use what he knew and suspected.

Lawyers didn't seriously get involved in the Watergate stories until quite late, when we realized we were on to something.

Using these unnamed sources, if done properly, carefully and fairly, provides more accountability in government.

I believe Watergate shows that the system did work. Particularly the Judiciary and the Congress, and ultimately an independent prosecutor working in the Executive Branch.

I gave my word that this source would not be identified unless he changed his mind. He has not.

Many people have their reputations as reporters and analysts because they are on television, batting around conventional wisdom. A lot of these people have never reported a story.

The Washington Times wrote a story questioning the authenticity of some of the suggestions made about me in Silent Coup. But as a believer in the First Amendment, I believe they have more than a right to air their views.

If information is true, if it can be verified, and if it's really important, the newspaper needs to be willing to take the risk associated with using unidentified sources.

The legislator learns that when you talk a lot, you get in trouble. You have to listen a lot to make deals.

Any suggestion that I'm writing about political operatives because I'm interested in political operatives misses the entire point.

After Nixon resigned in 1974, he engaged in a very aggressive war with history, attempting to wipe out the Watergate stain and memory. Happily, history won, largely because of Nixon's tapes.

When you practice reporting for as long as I have, you keep yourself at a distance from True Believers. Either conservatives or liberals or Democrats or Republicans.

I'm not going to name some of my colleagues who are very well-known for their television presentation, but they wouldn't know new information or how to report a story if it came up and bit them.

Nixon's attempts to order subversion of various departments was bound to come out in some form.

The cloud of doubt that surrounds political figures tends to remain and never dissipate or be clarified.

Watergate is an immensely complicated scandal with a cast of characters as varied as a Tolstoy novel.

The failure of the system to deal quickly was attributable to Nixon's lying, stonewalling and refusal to come clean. So it took 26 months for the final truth to be known.

Deep Throat was a very unfortunate name given to the source by the managing editor of The Washington Post.

Clinton feels a profound alienation from the Washington culture here, and I happen to agree with him.

Way before Watergate, senior administration officials hid behind anonymity.

There's hostility to lying, and there should be.

Suppose Watergate had not been uncovered? I'd still be on the City Desk.

There is a garbage culture out there, where we pour garbage on people. Then the pollsters run around and take a poll and say, do you smell anything?

Some newspapers have a hands-off policy on favored politicians. But it's generally very small newspapers or local TV stations.